If you ride your motorcycle often, you know the rules about gear. You should always wear your helmet to protect your head and so on and so forth. You know that you should always wear your gloves as well because you’ve heard other say so, but what are the real reasons? When it’s hot, they aren’t always comfortable! Here are a few reasons why you should wear your motorcycle gloves at all times when you ride.

Reason #1: Falls are Unpredictable

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been riding or how careful you are, you can still fall. And you will never know when it is going to happen. Someone can cut you off in traffic, a large gust of wind from a truck could throw you off, anything can happen any time. Whether you are riding for hours or just hopping over to a local store, you need to wear your gloves.

Reason #2: Hands are Important to Riding

Have you ever had a paper cut? You know how much that hurts and how you baby your hands because of it. Your hands are one of the most important parts of successful, safe riding. In order to protect your hands from many different elements so you can continue to ride with ease, wear your gloves!

Reason #3: To Protect Your Body

You’ve tripped and fallen before. You know the first thing you do on instinct is throw your hand out in order to catch yourself and protect more important parts from taking the brunt of the fall. An accident on your bike will cause the same reaction. If you tip over or fall off or have any type of trauma, instinctually the first thing you will do is stick your hand out to catch yourself. It is a smart way to protect your head and other areas of your body that are more precious. If you want to protect your body, your first defense is your hands. Wear the gloves and let them do the hard work!

Reason #4: Prevent Hand Numbness

If you’ve ever ridden your bike for any length of time, you may notice your hands going numb. This is not only uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. You need to be able to feel your hands in order to operate your bike correctly. Gloves with padded hands cannot only protect your hands in a fall, but they can also help keep the feeling in your hands and shelter them against the vibrations from the bike.

Reason #5: Get a Good Grip

Grip is another safety feature that gloves offer, even in the heat of the summer. When your hands are sweaty from the heat, your grip can slip at any time. When you’re speeding down the interstate, it is not a good time for that to happen. Most gloves have silicon hands that ensure a safety grip, even if you are hot and sweaty in the palms. During the winter months, they give you insulation that makes riding less cold and more comfortable as well.

Many riders overlook gloves because there are no laws about wearing gloves when you ride. Helmets are required in many locations, but gloves are optional. See the above reasons as to why riding without gloves is not a good idea. These five reasons are just a few of the reasons why you should always wear your motorcycle gloves.